Nathan E. Fleeson, Ph.D.
Educating and Mentoring Students through Literary Studies
Photo by Dallas Anne Duncan, www.DallasAnneDuncan.com
About
Nathan E. Fleeson (he/him) is an English Language Arts teacher with Peachtree Ridge High School in Gwinnett County Public Schools where he teaches 12th Grade Multicultural Literature and Composition and 10th Grade Literature. In May 2023, Nathan finished a Ph.D. in Arts, Literature, and Religion at the University of Georgia, with a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies. His research explores how people use art and literature to imaginatively explore personal identity and their connections to others.
While a graduate student instructor at UGA, Nathan became passionate about supporting students to reflect on how they structured their education and its importance for becoming global-citizens and life-long learners. He is excited to continue exploring similar opportunities for student reflection using the unique perspectives of Multicultural Literature as he returns to his old school district.
Recent Updates
New Edited Book Published - Questing through the Riordanverse: Studying Religion with the Works of Rick Riordan
In June 2024, I co-published with Carolyn Medine an edited collection of essays related to Religion and Rick Riordan's writing, entitled Questing through the Riordanverse: Studying Religion with the Works of Rick Riordan. The volume contains chapters exploring the themes of monsters, identity construction, and New Age religions that take their inspiration from pop culture. For the volume, I contributed a chapter on Character Deaths and their religious value for readers, a co-written Introduction about teaching Arts, Literature, and Religion in the 21st Century, a co-written Conclusion about the future of the Riordanverse. I also worked on the Appendix, which brings together student reflections on Pop Culture and Religion based on the Introduction to Religious Thought class I taught at UGA for 5 semesters. One of the things I love about this collection is working on it with my former major professor/mentor and my students. In many ways it is a representation of the academic forces that shaped me, how I attempted to make sense of them, and what my students did with those legacies. You can order Questing through the Riordanverse now through Rowman and Littlefield at the link below!
Professional Development - University of North Georgia Teacher Certification
In May, I started a year-long program to finalize my Georgia Teaching Certification through the University of North Georgia, College of Education. My coursework includes classes on curriculum and assessment, working with students with disabilities, researching and implementing effective teaching strategies, and reading in content-specific areas. The program concludes with nine months of teaching experience and observations, which my work at Peachtree Ridge High School will satisfy. You can see one of my sample projects on designing digital learning environments in line with ISTE standards here.
